Time is a Mysterious Thing
by LunaDea
Summary: Traveling through time isn't as complicated as it seems. The long, long awaited 10th chapter: Fred and George have their hands full with Sirius, while Hermione has something important to tell Harry and Ron...
1. The Debate

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, not me, and anyone who thinks otherwise is dumb.

* * *

'It was a rainy Saturday at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Gryffindor Common Room was filled with bored and restless students lounging in chairs or on sofas, chatting idly. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were seated in the most comfortable armchairs close to the fire. They were joined by Fred and George, and a lively conversation was soon underway. 

"It's not possible," Hermione said firmly.

"Hang on," said Harry, "haven't you done it?"

"Yes, but that was only within the space of a couple hours," Hermione explained. "They're talking about going back _years_. Decades, even. It simply isn't possible."

"Sure it is!" said George.

"Prove it."

"Well, Fred and I have time-traveled loads of times, haven't we?"

"Sure, we do it all the time," Fred agreed.

"Liars," said Hermione.

"I wouldn't call it _lying_, exactly," said George, "we're just creatively arguing."

"It can't be all that difficult," Fred continued. "All you'd have to do is wave your wand and mutter the right words."

"Well, maybe it's not _that_ easy," said George.

"Have some faith, would you?" Fred took his wand out of his pocket. "Watch: _Gesundheit!_"

Harry promptly disappeared.

"Huh," said George. "I guess it _is_ that easy."

* * *

Harry blinked. He was still in the Common Room, but it was occupied by completely different and unfamiliar people. 

"Fred? George?" Harry said cautiously as he looked around, hoping it was only an illusion. "Hermione?"

"No, but close enough," answered a boy with messy black hair. He was seated at a nearby table with two other boys. "I'm James, and this is Sirius and Remus. Where'd you come from?"

"You're…I'm…" Harry fumbled for words. "What's going on?"

"Well, mate, it sounds like you've had a rough day," said Sirius. "Why don't you sit down and tell us about it?"

Harry obliged. "A few of my friends were discussing time travel, and one of them thought it was possible but the other one thought it wasn't-"

"It is, you know," said Remus.

Harry gave a short laugh. "I know. But Fred and George decided to prove it, so they made up some ridiculous spell and-" Harry paused in his explanation as an incredibly attractive red-haired girl descended the stairs to the Common Room. The other boys followed Harry's gaze.

"Fancy Evans, do you?" whispered Sirius, who was seated next to Harry. "Better watch out, mate, James has been after her for years."

"Lily Evans?" Harry asked.

"Yeah. How'd you know that?"

"Never mind." Harry dropped the subject. The fact that he had briefly been interested in his mother, even the sixteen-year-old version, made his skin crawl.

"Mind if I join you?" asked Lily.

"Not at all," James replied, placing another chair between his and Sirius'. He pushed it in for Lily as she sat down.

"So, this friend of yours just waved his wand and you were transported back in time?" Remus asked Harry.

"Pretty much," said Harry as he took out his wand to demonstrate. "He kind of went like this with his wand, then said some silly words like _Geese in tights!_"

Lily and James vanished immediately.

"Oops," said Harry.

* * *

Well, how is it? Please review! I should warn you, and you can probably already tell, but this is not a deep and thought-provoking analysis of the mechanics of time travel. If it makes you laugh a couple of times, great. If it doesn't, oh well. Just review and tell me! Thank you! -Luna 


	2. Meet Lily and James

"Harry, thank goodness! I was positively ready to _kill_ Fred and-" Hermione paused. "You're not Harry."

"Um, no," said James.

"I've always liked that name, though," Lily added. "This is James, and I'm Lily. Where are we?"

"Umm..." Hermione was too overwhelmed to speak.

"Harry! I've been looking ev-" Ron stopped short, finding himself face to face with his best friend's dead parents.

"Ron, meet James and Lily," said Hermione as she recovered her wits.

"How do you do?" Ron said politely just before he passed out.

Hermione sighed. "It's going to be a long day."

* * *

"Where'd they go?" wondered Sirius. 

"Who knows? Hopefully back to where I came from," Harry said. "Hermione will know what's going on."

"So what do we do now?" asked Remus.

"Well, I suppose I could try again-" offered Harry.

"No!" Sirius and Remus interrupted at once.

"I'm quite content in this time period," said Sirius, "no offense."

Harry had run out of ideas. "Then I guess we'll just have to wait."

* * *

"Ron! Ron, wake up!" said Hermione to the unconscious figure before her. 

"What's the matter?" Fred asked as he and George wandered over. "Has our little brother gone and fainted?"

"Pity," added George. "Then again, he always was a bit of a pansy."

"True," Fred agreed. He noticed the two unfamiliar people standing near Hermione. "Who's this?"

"Fred and George," Hermione introduced, "meet Lily and James."

The twins were silent for a moment as they assessed the situation. It was George who spoke first. "Interesting. Well, we'd best be off. Places to go, things to do, you know."

"Not so fast!" said Hermione. "You two helped make this mess, and you're going to help clean it up."

"Yes, ma'am."

"No arguments here."

"Excellent." Hermione turned her attention to the business at hand. "Now Lily and James, you did meet Harry, correct?"

"Yes, he told us the whole story," James explained.

"And then he showed us the spell that sent him here. I mean, there. Wherever he went," added Lily. "It was something like, _Greasy mice!_"

And Fred and George were gone.

"I probably shouldn't have done that," said Lily.

Ron woke up. "Did I miss anything?"

* * *

Voila! I'm pretty sure the chapters get longer as the story goes along, but I'll update frequently so it doesn't really matter that this one was so short. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! You rock! Reviews, as always, are rewarded with eternal gratitude. So, please, keep them coming. Thank you! -Luna 


	3. The Twins go Back in Time

"Harry! How marvelous!" exclaimed George.

"We knew you'd make it back," Fred added.

"Um, guys?" said Harry.

"What is it?"

"Hang on, who are they?"

"None of your business," said Sirius.

"Be polite, Sirius," Remus scolded.

"Why, Fred," said George, "I do believe we have traveled through time."

"Really?" Fred wondered. "How spiffing!"

Sirius was fed up. "Where in the blazes are all these bloody time travelers coming from!"

"It's our fault," Fred and George answered together.

"This know-it-all we are acquainted with said it wasn't possible," Fred continued to explain, "so naturally, being the geniuses we are, we set out to disprove her."

"Being as clever as we are is such a burden sometimes," George added. "Poor Hermione. I wonder how she feels, being wrong for once?"

"I would imagine that she's a bit preoccupied at the moment," Harry reminded them, "with us being stuck in the past and all."

"Oh."

"Right."

"Did you happen to see Lily and James?" Remus asked the twins.

"Yeah, they're fine.

"Gave our brother a bit of a shock, though."

"What happened?" wondered Harry.

"He fainted," Fred and George replied.

Harry laughed. "Why am I not surprised?"

* * *

"Ok, nobody panic," instructed Hermione. 

"Panic?" repeated Ron. "You mean just because people are time traveling as often as blinking? No, I wouldn't _dream_ of panicking."

"Come on, Ron, you already passed out once," Hermione reminded him.

"Oh, be quiet!"

"Why, you-"

"Excuse me," interrupted Lily. "This has been a very, er, interesting experience and you're both lovely people, but we really should be going home."

"Do either of you have any idea how we might do that?" added James.

"Not in the slightest," Hermione admitted.

Ron was shocked. "You're doomed," he told Lily and James.

"Not so fast," said Hermione. "I think we should tell Dumbledore."

Ron gulped. "_We're _doomed."

* * *

Ok, so it's short. But is it at least interesting? Please, please, _please_ review and let me know! Thank you to everyone who has already reviewed, it makes a big difference. So once again: please, thank you, and au revoir! -Luna 


	4. Peter Pettigrew

"So, what do you do for fun around here?" wondered Fred.

"Yeah, it's not like they can punish us for causing trouble," George added, "being stuck in the past and all."

"You know, I'm really starting to like you two," said Sirius. "Let's see, we could-"

"Might I remind you, Sirius," Remus interrupted, "that while _they_ may not be punished, _we_ certainly will be."

"Come on, Remus," Sirius complained, "You're such a-"

"And, as I recall," continued Remus, "someone has a rather length History of Magic essay due on Monday. Have you even started that?"

"Can't I just get Pettigrew to do it?" asked Sirius. "It's not every day you get to entertain time travelers, after all."

"Well...if you must," Remus said.

Sirius turned in his chair and let out a yell. "Peter! Oh, Peter!"

A short, stout boy came scurrying over. "Yes, Sirius?"

"Well Peter, you see, I have this silly little essay to do, but I'm rather fatigued from doing all my other homework. So I was wondering if you could-"

"Sure, Sirius! Whatever you want!" said Peter as he hurried off to the library.

Harry watched him leave. "If you'll excuse me a moment," he said, getting up to follow Peter.

Fred and George exchanged glances. "Let's go."

"Are we just not any fun?" wondered Sirius as Fred and George rushed after Harry.

They caught up with him just outside the Gryffindor portrait hole. "What do you think you're doing, Harry?"

"I think you know the answer to that question."

"You can't."

"Why not? If I just kill him now, he can't hurt anyone. Sirius, all those muggles..."

"Not to mention your mum and dad," added Fred. "We know."

"But you can't," said George. "As Hermione says, 'Awful things happen to wizards who meddle with time.'"

"Did you just quote Hermione?" asked Fred.

"Not on purpose."

"You did!"

"Don't tell anyone."

"Not a soul."

The twins turned their attention back to the matter at hand. "Well, Harry?"

"Fine, I won't kill him."

"Promise?" said George.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Cross your heart, hope to-"George paused as Fred, deciding that "die" would not be an appropriate word at the moment, elbowed him in the ribs. "Ouch! Nevermind."

"Well, shall we go back to the Common Room, then?" asked Fred.

"Yes," George agreed, "I think we've done enough good for one day."

* * *

Well, nothing much happened in that chapter, did it? Sorry about that. But I would still love it if you would review, and thank you once again to everyone who has. My apologies for not posting yesterday, my computer was broken so I couldn't go online _all day_. Ahh! It's better now, though, so please review! Thanks! -Luna 


	5. Dumbledore Gets Involved

"Just through here, Professor Dumbledore, you've got to see this." Hermione led him into the Gryffindor Common Room, where Lily and James were waiting patiently.

"It wasn't my fault, Professor, I promise!" said James.

"Actually, it all started with Fred and George," Hermione explained.

"Naturally," said Dumbledore.

"Professor, wha..._ah-choo!_" Lily sneezed.

"_Gesundheit!"_ said James.

Dumbledore vanished. This time, however, Fred and George appeared in his place.

"Oh, brilliant," said Ron. "Of all the rotten luck!"

"It's nice to see you, too, little brother."

"We thought you'd have been worried sick."

"Or worse, out cold on the floor!"

"Knock it off, you two," Hermione scolded, "we're dealing with a crisis here."

"Crisis? I don't see how that can be, now that we're back."

"Dumbledore's gone," said Hermione.

"You mean, gone vacationing in the Bahamas-"

"No, gone as in disappeared to the past."

"George, I never thought I'd say this..."

"Yes, Fred?"

"We may be in over our heads."

* * *

"Harry! Wonderful to see you!" said Dumbledore. "I knew this would all straighten itself out." 

"Professor, er..." Harry began.

"Professor Dumbledore! How did you get here already?" wondered Sirius. "Remus just went to go find you."

"Oh dear," said Dumbledore.

"My thoughts exactly," said Harry.

"Sirius! I brought..." Remus trailed off as he saw who else was standing in the room.

"Interesting," said the person behind Remus, stepping forward. It was Dumbledore.

"_Two_ Dumbledores!" said Sirius in disbelief. "That's just what we need."

Remus, meanwhile, was amazed at the similarity between the two professors. "They look the same," he whispered to Sirius. "How are we supposed to tell the difference?"

Sirius shrugged. "I have no idea."

"I always suspected I would age well," the younger Dumbledore said to the older.

"Yes, I know," the older replied. "Incidentally, if you happen to come across a set of red-haired twins by the name of Weasley, make sure you keep your eye on them."

The younger Dumbledore put his index finger to his nose and looked over the rims of his glasses in acknowledgement of this advice.

"If that's not a scary sight, I don't know what is," said Sirius. Harry and Remus agreed.

"Professor Dumbledore, er, sirs," Harry spoke up, "what are we supposed to do now?"

"An excellent question," the older Dumbledore answered. "The solution to this puzzle, I feel, lies with your comrades in our own time."

"So we wait?"

"Yes, Harry, we wait."

* * *

Another chapter done! I would once again like to thank everyone who has reviewed. You rock! How is the story so far? Do you like it? What can I change or improve? Please review and let me know! Thanks! -Luna 


	6. Fred and George's Idea

"Ok, think," Hermione said to herself. "Don't panic, just think."

"You know, that's the second time you've said that today," Ron reminded her.

"It's not helping, is it?" asked Hermione.

"Not really," admitted Ron.

"Just do what we would do," George suggested.

"That's the dumbest idea I've ever heard," Hermione told him.

"Why?" Fred wondered. "We invented the spell, didn't we?"

"You do have a point," Hermione conceded. "What's your brilliant idea about how to reverse the spell?"

"Say it backwards!"

"Obviously."

Hermione was unable to speak for a moment. "You are both morons," she finally said.

"Wait, couldn't we at least try it?"

"Please?" The twins batted their eyelashes at her.

Hermione laughed despite herself. "I suppose it couldn't hurt. Where are Lily and James?"

"Right here," Lily answered.

"What is it?" asked James.

Hermione crossed her fingers, hoping Fred and George's idea would work. "Are you ready to go home?"

* * *

"Lily! James!" Sirius rushed over and hugged them both. "I've never been so glad to see either of you." 

"It's nice to see you, too," James replied.

"I'm never hugging you again, by the way," Sirius added.

"Glad to hear it," said James.

Harry was hardly able to contain his excitement at the prospect of going home. "I knew Hermione would figure it out," he remarked.

"Actually, it was Fred and George," Lily explained.

"How extraordinary," said Dumbledore.

"Did they figure out how to send us back?" asked Harry.

"Of course." Lily grabbed her wand. "_Tiehdnuseg!_"

Harry and Dumbledore, unfortunately, remained exactly where they were. Sirius and Remus both vanished, only to be replaced by Ron and Hermione.

"Harry!" Ron exclaimed happily.

"Hang on," said Hermione, "How did Lily and James get back...unless...oh no."

A look of horror came over Ron's face as he realized what had happened. "Do you mean...?" he began, then paused and fell to the floor. He had fainted again.

Hermione looked like she was ready to cry. Ron was blissfully unconscious, Lily and James wore expressions of confusion, and Harry's frustration was growing. The only one who seemed unaffected was Dumbledore.

"I am going for a walk," he informed them. "I could use some fresh air. Ms. Granger, if you would, please take Mr. Weasley to the hospital wing. And Harry...just stay where you are."

Dumbledore left. Hermione did as she was told and went to the hospital wing, Ron in tow. And Harry Potter, for the first time in his life, sat down to have a talk with his parents.

* * *

Ok, I have to admit that this chapter was originally the last one. But I started to realize that there were so many more possibilities, so I'm kind of winging it from here on out. Unless you think I should just end it right now...Please review! I won't be able to post the next chapter until Thursday at least, because I'm going to camp, so be patient. Thank you! -Luna 


	7. Harry and his Parents

"Harry!" Fred exclaimed as two people materialized in the Gryffindor Common Room. "You look...different."

"I'm not Harry, you dolt," said Sirius.

Fred and George exchanged baffled looks. "What happened?"

Sirius shrugged. "Lily and James showed up and said that you two had figured out how to send Harry and Dumbledore home-"

"Obviously _that _didn't work," Remus interrupted.

"-And then we were here," finished Sirius.

"Hang on," said George, "where's Hermione?"

"I don't know," Fred replied, looking around. "Now that you mention it, I don't see Ron, either."

There was a collective gasp as all four boys realized what had happened. "Oh no."

* * *

Harry, Lily, and James sat in chairs around the fireplace as minutes ticked away on the grandfather clock in the corner. No one had said a word since they had been alone in the room. 

Lily carefully studied Harry, her brow creased in concentration. Harry stared at the floor, feeling self-conscious under her gaze. James let his eyes wander around the room, bored out of his mind.

"You look so familiar," Lily finally said. "I can't imagine why, though..."

"Yeah, I get that all the time," Harry lied. Hermione's warning about the dangers of meddling with time filled his mind and prevented him from saying anything that might reveal his connection to Lily and James.

Lily remained unconvinced. "Oh," she said.

Silence filled the air once again. Harry struggled to remain calm, despite his growing frustration. He had many things he wanted to say to his parents, but couldn't risk changing the future by telling Lily and James things that they shouldn't have known.

"Are we supposed to be doing something?" James wondered.

"I don't-" Harry's reply was cut off as Hermione burst into the room.

"Harry!" she exclaimed breathlessly. "I need to talk to you."

Harry stood up, grateful to be rescued from an awkward situation but apprehensive about what Hermione might have to say. "Excuse me," he said to Lily and James as he followed Hermione into the hallway.

"What is it?" Harry asked as the portrait hole closed behind him.

"I was in the library trying to find information to help us get home," Hermione began, "and you'll never guess who I saw."

Harry sighed. "Peter Pettigrew."

Hermione's jaw dropped open in surprise. "How did you know that?"

"I was here when Sirius sent him to the library," Harry explained.

"And you didn't go chasing after him to get revenge?"

"I was going to," confessed Harry, "but Fred and George persuaded me not to."

Hermione was impressed. "Really?"

"Yeah. Unless you think it would be ok-"

"No!" exclaimed Hermione. "No, I think you should just stay in the Common Room."

"What are you going to do?" Harry asked.

"Go back to the library."

"You came all the way here just to tell me that?"

"I just thought you should know," said Hermione. "And I wanted to see how you were getting on with Lily and James."

"Ok, I guess. What am I supposed to _say_ to them?"

Hermione shrugged. "Just find out what they're like. Hobbies, favorite classes, things like that. But Harry, you can't make them suspicious."

"I know," he replied. "Have fun in the library."

Hermione turned and started down the stairs. "Don't do anything stupid!" she called back.

Harry stepped back into Gryffindor Tower only to find Lily and James having a snog on the sofa. He quickly turned away.

"I am scarred for life."

* * *

"So we're stuck here with only you two?" Remus said incredulously. 

Sirius sighed. "We're never getting back."

Fred and George were indignant. "You don't think we can figure it out?"

"Considering you're the reason we're here in the first place," Remus reminded them, "no."

"Let's just sort out who's where," Fred suggested.

"An excellent idea!" George agreed. "Who was there when you left?" he asked Sirius and Remus.

"Well, Lily and James had just showed up-"

"And Harry was already there with Dumbledore-"

"And then _our_ Dumbledore came to see what was going on-"

"Wait," Fred interrupted. "You mean two Dumbledores met each other?"

"Isn't that supposed to make them go crazy or something?" wondered George.

"It didn't seem to affect either Dumbledore," Remus answered thoughtfully. "I would assume he's above such things."

"That, or he's already crazy," suggested Sirius. All four of them laughed.

Fred was the first to regain his composure. "We forgot Ron and Hermione!"

"What about them?" asked George.

"They're stuck in the past, too," Fred replied.

"Oh, yes," said George. "We've got our work cut out for us, don't we?"

"I love a challenge," Fred agreed. "Let's get started!"

* * *

I'm back! And a long chapter, too... How do you think it's going? Questions, comments, and helpful suggestions are always appreciated. Please review! Thanks! - Luna 


	8. Ginny and Sirius

Before Sirius, Remus, and the twins could enact any sort of plan, Ginny came running down the stairs from the girls' dormitory.

"Fred! George! Have either of you seen my potions book?" she asked breathlessly as she reached the bottom of the steps. "I have to write an essay that's at least two scrolls long, _and _it's due tomorrow."

"Procrastinating again, are you?" said George.

"I'm soproud," Fred added.

Remus raised his eyebrows. "Relative of yours?" he asked.

"Unfortunately," sighed Fred. "It's the hair, isn't it?"

"That always gives us away," added George.

"Who are they?" Ginny wondered.

"I'm sorry, how terribly rude of us," apologized Remus. "I'm Remus Lupin," he introduced himself, shaking her hand.

"I'm Ginny," she replied.

"Sirius Black, at your service," Sirius added. "It's a pleasure to meet you." He took her hand, but instead of shaking it like Remus had, he kissed it.

Ginny blushed slightly, and Fred and George became suddenly defensive.

"Watch it, mate," warned Fred.

"She's our sister, you know," George added.

"Of course," said Sirius, winking at Ginny. Fred and George chose to ignore him.

"What were we discussing before?" George wondered. "Oh yes, getting you two back to your proper time."

"Already?" Sirius asked in disappointment. "Isn't there time for just a little bit of mischief?"

"No," George said firmly.

"Why not?" wondered Fred. "Come on, George. Mischief _is _our middle name."

George hesitated. "Well-"

"Are you sure none of you have seen my potions book?" Ginny interrupted. "Snape will _kill _me if I don't turn in this essay on time."

The name caught the attention of Sirius and Remus. "Snape?" repeated Sirius. "Greasy-haired, creepy little Snivellus?"

"The one and only," Fred and George chorused.

"Git," Ginny muttered.

"He's a professor now?" said Remus. "Huh."

Sirius was deep in thought. "Okay," he said finally, "I think I have an idea..."

* * *

"So, how long have you two been, er, dating?" Harry asked uncomfortably. 

Lily and James had stopped what they were doing as soon as they were aware of Harry's presence, and moved embarrassedly to opposite ends of the sofa.

"A while," Lily replied. "I was going out with Sirius, but-"

"Then she realized that I was far better-looking," James joked.

Lily smiled. "Actually, I think it was your modesty that first attracted me," she replied, making James grin.

Harry felt his heart glow at their obvious affection for each other. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to be stuck in the past for a little while longer- at least he would finally have some real memories of his parents. Harry's thoughts were interrupted as a familiar red-haired figure burst into the common room.

"Harry!" Ron exclaimed.

"Back from the hospital wing already?" said Harry.

"Yeah, the nurse just called me a pansy and told me to grow a spine," Ron admitted. "Then she made me leave."

"Do you think you need to lie down?" Lily asked in concern.

"I'll be fine," Ron said gruffly. "It's no big deal, really."

"You should at least sit," Lily suggested.

"If you insist." Ron slowly made his way to the armchair next to the fire, apparently still unsteady from his recent bout with unconsciousness. "When do you think we'll be able to get back?" he asked, addressing no one in particular.

"Well, Hermione's in the library right now doing research," Harry explained, "and I'm sure Dumbledore's got something up his sleeve."

"Sirius and Remus are probably working on it too," James suggested.

"Where are they?" wondered Ron.

"In the future," said James.

"With Fred and George," Harry added.

Ron laughed. "Oh yeah, I'm sure they're getting _loads_ done," he said sarcastically. "What are you supposed to be doing, Harry?"

Harry shrugged. "I'm supposed to stay here and not leave no matter what."

"We're his baby-sitters," Lily joked.

Harry frowned. "I just want to _do _something," he admitted.

James looked thoughtful for a moment, then removed a small golden ball from his pocket. "Do you like Quidditch, Harry?"

* * *

Ginny's eyes lit up as Sirius explained his plan. "That's brilliant!" she exclaimed. 

"I don't like it," said George.

"We could get expelled," added Fred.

Ginny gave them both a withering look. "When have _you_ ever worried about being expelled?"

"It's alright, Ginny," said Sirius. "They don't have to come. In fact, it might be more fun without them..."

"What?" said George.

"We're nothing if not fun," Fred added.

"Really?" Sirius wondered. "Then this will be an excellent chance to prove it."

"That sounds like a challenge, George."

"I do believe it is, Fred."

"Well?"

"I'm in if you are."

Fred and George grinned and turned back to Sirius. "What are we waiting for?"

All five of them rushed out of Gryffindor Tower.

* * *

Updated Author's Note (3/25/05): Yes, it is I, the prodigal writer! So I'm fixing some of the weird formatting stuff (like the random zeroes in the middle of the story), and then I'll start the next chapter as soon as possible. Hey, better late (make that really, really, really late) than never! -Luna 


	9. Snape's Surprise

"Are you sure this isn't against the rules?" Harry asked James as they walked down to the Quidditch pitch with Lily and Ron.

"This is Hogwarts! Nothing is against the rules!" James replied with a wave of his hand. "Unless you get caught," he added. Harry grinned.

"I dunno about this, Harry," Ron said worriedly. "What if-"

"Ron," Harry interrupted him. "Would you rather sit up in the Common Room all day bored half to death, or have a little fun for a change?"

Ron hesitated and glanced back at the castle. The others stopped walking and looked at him expectantly. "Well, what are we waiting for?" said Ron at last. "Let's go!"

* * *

"Shh! Quiet!" Sirius scolded Fred, George, and Remus as they crouched behind a large statue in one of the corridors at Hogwarts. "Places, everyone. Here they come!" 

"I have no time for your petty complaints," Snape said as he swooped down the hallway with Ginny following closely behind.

"But I really don't understand this essay, Professor!" Ginny protested. "If you could just explain-"

Snape spun on his heel and faced her directly. "I am a teacher," he snarled, "not your personal tutor. The assignment was thoroughly explained during class, andyou will be expected to complete it on your own just like all of your classmates."

Ginny, however, was no longer listening to what he was saying. Her eyes were glued fearfully to a spot just above Snape's head. "P-p-professor, look!" she stammered, pointing her finger.

Snape turned around and found himself face-to-face with the ghostlike figures of Sirius and Remus. His reaction was one of deep puzzlement. "Who are you?"

"We are the ghosts of Hogwarts past," Remus said in a hollow voiceas he hoveredslightly above the ground. "I am Remus Lupin-"

"And I am Sirius Black," Sirius added, not to be outdone. "We have come to haunt you, Snivellus Snape!"

"What have I done wrong?" asked Snape, becoming even paler than usual. "Wait a minute," he said, peering closely at Remus. "Why are you a ghost? You're not even dead!"

Remus' eyes widened in panic for a moment, but he recovered quickly. "It does not matter!" he boomed, lifting higher off the ground. "The spirits of Hogwarts are displeased with you, and they have chosen me-"

"And me!" Sirius chimed in.

"They have chosen _us_," Remus corrected himself, "to rebuke you."

"What must I do?" Snape asked, falling on his knees before the awe-inspiring figures.

"Stop treating the Gryffindors like dirt!" Remus shouted. "If you do not, your punishment will be too terrible to imagine."

"Is that all?" said Snape.

"No!" said Sirius. "Ginny Weasley will not be required to turn in her Potions essay this week. And," he continued, "you must wear this t-shirt for the rest of the day."

Remus tossed the shirt to Snape, who discovered that it read "Snivelling Snivellus."

"Now be gone!" said Remus, shooing him away. "The sight of you is making me nauseous."

Snape got up and hurried away, glancing back over his shoulder nervously as he went. As soon as he was out of sight, Ginny, Remus, and Sirius burst out laughing.

"You can put us down now," Sirius called to Fred and George, who had remained hidden behind the statue and were the ones responsible for Remus and Sirius' ghostly levitation. The twins complied and emerged from their hiding place.

"Wasn't that fun?" Remus asked them.

They shrugged. "It was alright," Fred and George replied in unison.

"We could have done better," said Fred. "Wouldn't you agree, George?"

"Without question. It lacked subtlety. Sophistication. Finesse."

"Precisely. Far too low-brow for my taste."

"This from the boys who think it's funny to plant dungbombs in my room," Ginny retorted. The twins fell silent.

"Well, I'm glad you liked it," Sirius said to Ginny.

"It was fabulous," she confirmed. "And thanks for getting me out of my Potions essay."

Sirius smiled. "My pleasure."

* * *

Harry raced across the field on his broom, the Golden Snitch only inches ahead of him. He reached out his hand, but it was still just out of his grasp. If he could just stretch a little farther... 

"Got it!" yelled James triumphantly, swooping in and grabbing the Snitch just as Harry reached for it. "That's twice in a row, Harry- I thought you said you were good."

"This isn't exactly the kind of equipment I'm used to," Harry informed him, indicating the rickety school broom he was perched upon.

"Oh, sure, blame the broom!" James teased. There was a pause. "Best of five?" he asked. Harry nodded. The Snitch fluttered off again, gleaming in the sunlight.

"Boys," Lily sighed as she watched from the stands with Ron, who had decided that given his recent difficulties with staying conscious, getting on a broom might not be the best idea.

"What do you mean?" he wondered defensively.

"They're such show-offs," she explained. "Always competing to be the toughest or trying to impress some girl... It gets tiresome."

"Well, it's not like we do it on purpose," Ron replied. "Proving ourselves is just part of our nature, like belching."

Lily, with a disgusted look on her face, decided to let the subject drop. She turned her attention back to Harry and James, who were still chasing each other around the field in search of the Golden Snitch.

"There is something strange about those two," she observed, watching as Harry and James executed identical maneuvers simultaneously. "It's almost as if they're related or something."

"Yeah," said Ron with an uneasy laugh. "Weird."

* * *

At long last, I have returned! I hope this chapter is as good as all the other ones; this is the first thing I have written in quite a while, as you may have noticed. I am going to try to be more punctual, and reviews would be very encouraging in this regard. So, as always, if you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or recipes you would like to share, please review! Thanks! -Luna 


	10. Snogging and Solutions

"So then I was like, 'James, I swear, if you do not return Professor McGonagall's underwear right now, I'm reporting you to Dumbledore,'" Remus related to a fascinated Fred and George as the three of them sat in the Gryffindor common room. "But then Sirius was like-"

"Sirius!" Fred and George interrupted simultaneously.

"Right, that's what I said," Remus confirmed.

"No, what we meant was-" George began.

"Where is he?" finished Fred.

Remus shrugged. "Ask your sister; maybe she knows."

"Good idea," said George. He paused. "Where is Ginny?"

"I have no idea," confessed Fred.

"You don't think they got transported through time, do you?" Remus asked worriedly.

Fred and George exchanged glances. "No," they replied, standing up and making their way over to a broom cupboard underneath the stairs.

"They probably just got transported-"

"To the snogging cupboard."

George flung the door open, and Sirius and Ginny leapt apart.

"Oh," said Ginny, blushing furiously. "I was just…showing Sirius where the brooms were…" she fumbled. "We thought that the floor looked a bit… messy."

"I found one," Sirius added, holding up a broom with a grin.

"Excellent," said Fred.

"You can start over there," suggested George, pointing to the far corner of the room. "Fred and I would like to have a word with our sister."

"What do you think you're doing?" Fred exclaimed once Sirius was out of earshot.

"Isn't it obvious?" replied Ginny.

"Oh, for the love of Merlin, Ginny!" wailed George. "Don't you realize that you were just having a snog with Sirius Black?"

"So?" said Ginny.

"So, he is Harry's godfather, remember?" Fred scolded her. "You're practically related! It's like… incest."

"Not to mention the fact that he's dead," George pointed out.

"That's just wrong," agreed Fred.

"I was just having a little fun," protested Ginny. "And besides, he was quite good-looking in his younger days…" she added, eyeing Sirius as he sat talking to Remus. He felt her gaze and grinned at her, and Ginny waved.

Fred and George sighed.

"We need to get this time travel mess sorted out soon."

"Very soon."

* * *

"Harry! What on earth do you think you're doing?" Hermione yelled as she ran onto the Quidditch pitch. 

Harry was so startled by the sound of her voice that he nearly fell off his broom. He recovered his balance quickly, but it was too late; the moment of broken concentration was all James needed to snatch the Snitch and win again.

"Cheater," Harry protested.

James' reply was cut off as Hermione began to shout again.

"Get down here this instant!" she insisted.

"Only if you promise not to hurt me," replied Harry.

"Don't make me do this…" threatened Hermione, pulling out her wand.

"I'm coming," Harry said hastily, descending and dismounting from his broom. "What's going on?"

"Honestly, Harry, that was very irresponsible of you; going off to play Quidditch while I'm trying to sort out this mess. You didn't even leave a note! And where is Ron?"

"Up there," said Harry, pointing to the stands, where Lily and Ron were still chatting.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Hermione asked impatiently. "Go get him!"

"Did you figure out a way to send us back or something?" wondered Harry.

"Obviously," replied Hermione. "Would I be this uptight if I hadn't?"

Harry wisely chose not to respond, and instead climbed aboard his broom to retrieve Ron.

"What's happening?" asked James, coming to fly alongside Harry.

"I'm not exactly sure," Harry admitted, "I just do what Hermione tells me to do."

They came to the spot where Lily and Ron were seated and dismounted from their brooms.

"Come on, Ron," said Harry. "It's time to go."

"We'll come and see you off," Lily suggested. "That is, if James will give me a ride back to the castle."

"Anything for you, babe," James replied, giving her a quick peck on the cheek. Lily climbed onto the broom behind him and they sped off.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Harry asked Ron. "Get on!"

"I don't want to ride on the back," protested Ron.

"Oh, good grief," said Harry. "Just do it."

Ron sighed. "Fine. But you can never tell anyone about this, ever."

Harry grinned. "You got it."

* * *

Wow, it's been like forever! But I just got back from this really awesome movie called Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and I was inspired... Ican't guarantee that there will be another chapter up anytime soon; I want to catch up on some of my other stories too, but your reviews are still very much appreciated. Thank you to everyone who hasalready reviewed! You are awesome, and also very patient.Ciao! -Luna 


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